Guide
27 Coding Bootcamps for High School Students
Written By Rachel Meltzer
Edited By Jess Feldman
Last updated on September 30, 2024
Written By Rachel Meltzer
Edited By Jess Feldman
Course Report strives to create the most trust-worthy content about coding bootcamps. Read more about Course Report’s Editorial Policy and How We Make Money.
Course Report strives to create the most trust-worthy content about coding bootcamps. Read more about Course Report’s Editorial Policy and How We Make Money.
While most immersive coding bootcamps are designed for adult career-changers, there’s a rising number of summer bootcamps, pre-college programs, and online bootcamps now geared towards high school students and rising college freshmen. More kids and high school students than ever are learning to code and turning to bootcamps to learn practical programming languages, build hands-on projects, and pair program to prepare for today’s tech industry. We’ve rounded up coding bootcamps for a variety of learners – whether you’re searching for a summer coding program, a college alternative, a productive gap year coding school, or an online coding course.
9 out of 10 parents want their child to study computer science, but only 1 out of 4 schools actually teach programming (Gallup poll). Coding bootcamps are a great way for high schoolers to learn the tech skills used by today's modern tech workforce. In a coding bootcamp, students receive mentorship and hands-on tech training from industry experts. A coding bootcamp is an excellent way for a high school student to build their knowledge base while test-driving a possible tech career.
At a coding bootcamp for adults, you should expect career services and job placement; this is not expected at a high school coding programs.
For recently graduated high school students, choosing a coding bootcamp during your gap year can help you learn in-demand skills and build a resume with relevant experience. The Gap Year Association reports that 88% of college grads who took a gap year reported the gap year significantly added to their employability.
Code Galaxy offers accelerated coding bootcamps in web development, Python basics, and mobile app development. Students will receive on-demand support through Discord. Curriculum for the bootcamps focuses on hands-on project work.
Who it’s for: High school students who have basic coding experience.
Length of program: 2 days (8 hours total)
Location: Online
Upcoming start dates: Rolling Admissions
CSSI is a summer introduction to computer science for students from underrepresented groups in the field. It’s an intensive, interactive, hands-on, and fun program that focuses on the path to a tech career, confidence building, and skills. Students will create projects with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, and Google App Engine. They’ll also work on job prep, get time with Google Engineers, and participate in community activities. They offer a few groups including CSSI-HBCU for students considering attending a Historically Black College or University, CSSI-Extension for students looking at specific tech schools partnered with Google, and CSSI at Google for students not considering an HBCU or partner school.
Who it’s for: Rising High School Seniors from underrepresented groups.
Length of program: 3-weeks
Class size: 10 students
Upcoming start dates: Rolling Admissions
iDTech’s virtual tech courses include after school programs and virtual summer camps. Students can learn Python, Java, Minecraft, Roboblox, Unity, Adobe, 3D modeling, and more.
Who it’s for: Ages 7-19. With a range of skill levels, iDTech is great for the student who knows which specific skills they want to work on. It’s a good introduction to tech or single skill sharpener.
Length of program: 1-12 weeks
Class size: 5 students
Upcoming start dates: Rolling Admissions
NextGen Bootcamp offers live online computer classes for high school and college students. Students can learn web development, data science, graphic design, and business with live online summer courses.
Who it’s for: High school and college students, no prior experience is necessary. This is a good introduction to specific coding languages and skills.
Length of program: 2-5 weeks
Location: Online
Upcoming start dates: Java Programming Summer Program on on June 27 and July 22, 2024; Computer Science Summer Certificate Program on June 27 and July 22, 2024; Python Data Science Summer Program on June 27 and July 22, 2024
The Coding School is a nonprofit that partners with UCLA, USC, Villanova University, and Brown University. They teach 4 year programs in high schools in California, virtual summer camps, and they also offer online coding lessons called Code Connects for high schoolers. At summer camp students can learn fundamentals of computer science, data structures, artificial intelligence, cyber security, college computer science prep, full stack web development, mobile app development, 3D game development, data science, fntech, and computational genomics.
Who it’s for: Grades 6-12, no prior experience is necessary. Students with learning disabilities or from minority groups are encouraged to apply. With a wide variety of topics, languages, and skills for students to pick from, this is an introductory bootcamp that can also serve more advanced students.
Length of program: 2 months - 4 years
Location: Online
Class size: 1-5 students
Upcoming start dates: June 8th (Emerging Tech), July 22nd (AI & Big Data, Quantum Computing)
Upperline offers virtual coding courses that use real-world tools and project-based learning to teach Swift, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Ruby, Python, and more. They offer Summer programs and single-session workshops that are topic-specific or grouped by schooling level (middle school or high school).
Who it’s for: Ages 11-18. Upperline is an introductory bootcamp that would prepare students well for formal coding bootcamps or computer science degrees.
Length of program: 1 day to 2 weeks
Class size: 20 students
Upcoming start dates: Rolling Admissions
Kode with Klossy is a tuition-free summer coding bootcamp for young women. Scholars at the camps will be introduced to Ruby on Rails, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and Swift. Applications are due by April 10, 2024!
Who it’s for: Ages 13-18. This is an introductory bootcamp.
Length of program: 2 weeks
Locations: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, New York, Portland, St. Louis, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington D.C
Upcoming start dates: June 3, June 17, July 8, July 22, August 5, 2024
New York Tech Scholars is an online, all-girls’ coding bootcamp. Students will learn about women in tech throughout history and code games, apps, and websites that make a difference in the world. The online course is live with an instructor, a mentory, and a virtual community of girls to pair-program with.
Who it’s for: This program is for high school girls in the US. It’s an introductory bootcamp.
Length of program: 4 days - 4 weeks
Location: New York City
Upcoming start dates: July 15th (Game Design); July 22 (Web Design)
Girls Who Code is an empowering nonprofit that runs online, summer immersion camps, lecture series, clubs, college groups, and at-home coding curriculum for girls of all ages. Students will learn HTML, CSS, JavaScript and more in either thefree, live online Summer Immersion Program (SIP) or the self-paced format.
Who it’s for: Girls grades 9-12.
Length of program: 2 weeks live online or 6 weeks self-paced
Students will learn HTML and CSS, and JavaScript in project-based step by step courses. Projects include websites, apps, games, and more.
Who it’s for: Ages 4-18
Length of program: Self-Paced
In this award-winning design thinking & STEM summer program, high school students learn how to design and build products for individuals with disabilities. Professional designers are the lead instructors, and students will learn UI/UX design principles, such as persona creation, storyboarding, wireframing, app layout, and app design as well as building their own real apps.
Who it’s for: Students in grades 8th-12th
Length of program: 2 weeks
iDTech offers courses in coding, game development, robotics, and creative arts to take students from beginner to college-bound. They offer online and in-person courses.
Who it’s for: Ages 7-19
Length of program: 1-week
Upcoming start dates: Rolling Admissions
Juni Learning offers private online classes in computer science and mathematics for kids. Their curriculum covers Python and Java with HTML, CSS, and Javascript.
Who it’s for: Kids ages 8-18 from introductory to college-level.
Length of program: 3-6 months
Class size: 1-4 students
Varsity Tutors is a live learning platform offering online coding courses and private online tutoring for students K-12.
Who it’s for: Ages 5-19
Length of program: variable depending on course
Upcoming start dates: Rolling Admissions
Veritas AI is a live online, artificial intelligence program run by Harvard graduates and specializing in AI courses for middle school and high school students. The courses are project-based and cover the fundamentals of AI and machine learning.
Who it’s for: Ages 12-19
Length of program: variable depending on course
Upcoming start dates: Rolling Admissions
For those considering a gap year, coding bootcamps may be the answer to learning the tech skills used by today’s tech workforce. These coding bootcamps accept applications from promising high school graduates:
Hack Reactor is an immersive, online coding school where students learn full stack development through lectures, personal projects, and group projects. Hack Reactor integrates online job preparation into their curriculum and often places their alumni in mid-to-senior level positions in tech.
Who it’s for: Hack Reactor is a great summer bootcamp, gap year, or replacement for college. They accept students over the age of 18.
Length of program: 12 weeks
Upcoming start dates: July 20, 2023 (Python Coding Bootcamp for Beginners)
Holberton School is a software engineering school that takes students through three phases: Foundations, Internships, and Specializations. They teach through project-based, peer learning. They offer internships and career guidance for a well-rounded jump into the tech industry.
Who it’s for: Holberton School is the perfect alternative to college for the student who is serious about a career in tech. They accept students over the age of 18 and no experience is required.
Length of program: 2 years
Class size: 50 students
General Assembly offers a variety of bootcamps and short courses online and in-person for web and mobile development, product management, and data science. Their immersive bootcamps cover relevant, in-demand skills along with career coaching. They also offer 1-2 day workshops, evening and weekend classes, and on-demand learning.
Who it’s for: General Assembly is great for the recent high school graduate who wants to dip their feet into shorter courses, someone looking to replace college with coding bootcamp, and the college student who wants to learn to code part-time instead of taking on an internship or job during college. They accept students 18+.
Length of program: 1-2 days to 10 weeks
Class size: 22 students
Upcoming start dates: June 10th (Software Engineering Bootcamp), June 17th (Python Short Course)
Most colleges and universities in the US offer summer courses, pre-college programs, or summer immersives. Many pre-college programs offer college credit or a certificate of completion.
Stanford's AI4ALL online program aims to increase diversity in AI. The online program combines lectures, hands-on projects, and mentoring activities to teach students AI.
Who it’s for: Grades 8-12
Length of program: 3-weeks
Upcoming start dates: July 8th, 2024
This online Cybersecurity course is taught by industry experts from the FBI and CISA. The curriculum dives into the history of cyberspace, vulnerabilities, innovations in AI, and more.
Who it’s for: Ages 13+
Length of program: 1-week intensives, 2-week sessions, and 4-week sessions
Upcoming start dates: May 5th, May 19th, June 9th, 2024
Learn to code online at Syracuse university. Students will learn how to code in Python. They’ll practice foundational components like procedural programming, control structures, and data structures to dive into PANDAS, requests, and visualization.
Who it’s for: 2024 High School Graduates
Length of program: 3 weeks
Location: Online
Upcoming start dates: July 22nd, 2024
The Game Lab Summer Institute covers game making as an artistic and technical practice. Students will develop aesthetic and technical foundations in various aspects of game design, learn how to express their own ideas, create compelling game characters, build game worlds, and program games. Apply by June 1, 2024!
Who it’s for: Ages 14-18
Length of program: 2 weeks
Location: Los Angeles and online
Upcoming start dates: July 8th, July 21st, August 4th, 2024
Students can choose from NYU's Sumer STEM courses, like Computer Enginering for Good; Computer Science for Cyberscurity; Design, Invent & Innovate; Machine Learning; Science of Smart Cities; Automation, Robatics & Coding; and more! Courses are taught on campus, and some courses are free! Applications are due by April 14, 2024.
Who it’s for: Ages 14-18
Length of program: 2 weeks
Locations: New York City
Upcoming start dates: June 14th & July 1st (Computer Engineering for Good), July 15th (Cyber Security for Computer Science), June 14th & July 1st (Machine Learning)
Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science is a rigorous residential academic program for rising high school seniors of underrepresented or underserved communities. Students take one math course, one life sciences course, one physics course, one humanities course, and one electives course. Diagnostic tests determines math and science placements. Electives include computer science, electronics, engineering design, genomics, and architecture. MITES Summer program is tuition-free, and includes room & board!
Who it’s for: Rising High School Seniors from underserved communities with a good academic record and an interest in STEM.
Length of program: 6 weeks
Location: Boston
MITES Saturdays is a tuition-free program for 7th-10th graders in Boston, Cambridge, and Lawrence, MA public school systems. Students will dive into different STEM topics each semester through hands-on instruction and collaborative projects. The program occurs over 8 Saturdays in the Spring semester and 8 Saturdays in the Fall semester. Free transportation and lunch are provided.
Who it’s for: 7th-10th graders in Boston, Cambridge, and Lawrence, MA public school systems
Length of program: 6 months
Location: Boston
Non-profit coding bootcamp, Operation Spark is based in New Orleans, LA and offers coding programs specifically for high school students. Students can choose between courses, like Fundamentals of HTML, CSS and JavaScript and Advanced JavaScript, Functional Programming, and Web Development. These courses are tuition-free for students attending public, parochial, or home school in New Orleans.
Who it’s for: 9th-12th graders
Length of program: 4 weeks
Location: New Orleans and Online
Rachel Meltzer is the founder of MeltzerSeltzer, where she is the lead writer, podcast host, and freelance writing coach. She attended a front-end web development bootcamp in 2020.
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